Driving mechanism



Dec. 17', 1940. J. OAKLEY 2,225,249

DRIVING MECHANISM Filed June 28, 1940 BY J INVg Wa g M Patented Dec. 17, 1940 John Oakley,

Springfield, Mass, assignor to er ns. Machine and Gear. Cn ii nn. W st Sp i gfi Mass, a m gr t ng. fMassachusetts App c tio me 0, Serial NQ...342,-9fi0' 13 Claims.

My invention relates to operating mechanisms where it is-desiredto oscillate a shaftback and forth.

The principal objects of the invention are directed to the provision of an operating mechanism for oscillating a shaft or the like back and forth, which mechanism is characterized by means to vary the angle or extent of oscillations.

As a special feature of the invention, the novel operating mechanismincludes aplurality'ofdriving members and of driven members which are independently engageable and also-the provision of means for selectively engaging the same so as to obtain different oscillating effects.

As another special feature of my invention, the engageable means includes frictionally engageable surfaces or faces and yieldable means for urging the same into operative relation which means that it is adapted to permit relative movements of the driving and driven members when the load on the shaft which is being oscillated overcomes the ability of the yielding means to hold the members in operative engagement.

The novel features of the invention are adapted for broad application wherever it is desired to oscillate a shaft or the like, but for purposes of disclosure it will be described in connection with a paddle or agitator shaft of a washing machine.

With the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will 35 be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection With the accompanying drawingwherein:

Fig. 1 is an inverted plan view of a tub of a 40 washing machine having the novel operating ordrivingmechanism of the invention associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of certain parts of the driving mechanism to illustrate certain features of the invention;

Fig, 3 is a sectional elevational view onthe line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevational view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevational viewthrough a part of the yieldable means for urging the driving and the driven members. into operative engagement; andv Fig. 6 is a small scale perspective view of a means for acting. on the yieldablemeans.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, wherein similar reference figures refer to like parts, and'referring more particularly to the preferred form of my invention which has been selected: for illustrative purposes, I have shown in Fig. 1 lower. wall-20f a washing machine tub 4. A shaft 6' extends through the bottom wall 2 into the tub and it is journalled in a casing 3. The Shaft in the tub carries the usual agitator orpaddle, which is not shown, said shaft and 10 paddle beingagitatedby the mechanism of my invention.

The casing is; of a usual construction and is adapted" for enclosing the mechanism and it has a cover, [:0 secured=thereto. The casing. may be 5 securedto the tub in any desired manner. A shaftl2 journalled for rotationin a side of the casing is connected by a coupling M to a shaft I6; ofja motor H3. The motor is carried by a support, 2} which is associatedwith the casing, substantially as; shown.

A shaft 22", having'its lowerportion journalled in-the casing, extends upwardly" of the tub for driving a wringer. It is driven by means of a worm: wheel 24,. with whichis engaged a worm Zli pfy the'shaft" l2= As the shaft I2 is rotated, the shaft' 22; and the worm gear 24 are also rotated.

The worm gear-may be termed the propeller or rotatable member.

7 A; member consisting of; a plurality of discs dis osed onthe oscillatable shaft 6 have spaced circumferentialgrooves-32, 36; and 38, substantially as shown in Fig. 3. This member 38, or the members of which-it is formed, maybe called 35 the. driven member-or members.

, -A plurality-of; driving members 33 35, and 37 arespivotally connected at Ml-to the worm wheel 24. The. free. endpor-tions of the driving members arereceivableinthe grooves 32, 36 and 38' 40 of thedriven. member or" members. The side faces .of the groovesia-ndthe sidefaces of the-driving members. 33,, 35, and, 3'! are angularly disposed. and are complementalso that the faces of the driving members and the grooves are frictionally-engageable. The inclined angles of the opposite-facesnf the driving members are-seven degrees or. closely. thereabouts.

The member 30 01 the-grooves thereof are arrangedto provide different diameters and obviously; theremay be as manyv different co-operating: driving members andgrooves as may be desired; As the'member- 24 rotates and with the driving. members/in their respective grooves, the

driving members are reciprocated back and forth.

The driving member andthe groove or grooves which are urged into or are held in frictional engagement bring about oscillation of the shaft 6. Since there are grooves of different diameters, the angle of oscillation of the shaft 6 will depend on which of the driving members and grooves are in frictional engagement. The reciprocating strokes of the driving members are constant so that to provide a greater angle of oscillation of the shaft 6, the driving member 33 is frictionally engaged with the groove 32. For a smaller angle of 05- cillation, driving member 35 is engaged with the groove 36.

According to the invention the driving mem bers and their respective grooves are frlctionally engaged for the angle of oscillation desired and means is provided which selectively urges a particular driving member and groove into frictionable engagement.

The means for urging the members towards one another includes yielding or resilient means so that when the load on the oscillating shaft 6 overcomes the driving connection the frictional faces may slip. At least, the parts are not called upon to drive the shaft 6 against a load greater than that for which they are adapted whereby the mechanism is not likely to be injured by excessive loads.

For selectively engaging the driving and driven members according to the form of the invention illustrated, the following means is provided.

A plurality of plungers 50 which are carried by a bracket 52 have forward ends adapted to bear on the backs of the driving members 33, 35 and 31. Preferably the plungers consist of relatively slidable tubes 54 and 56 which are urged apart by springs 58 as is shown in Fig. 5.

An operating shaft or rod 60 is oscillatable on the bottom of the tub and has its forward end journalled in the casing 8. A cam 62 is fixed on the end of the shaft 60 and it has a plurality of elevated cam sports or surfaces 64, 66 and 68 on the forward face thereof for engaging the plungers 5D.

The shaft 60 is adapted for rocking movements which is accomplished by a manual manipulation of a lever part 16 of the shaft 60 which extends upwardly at one side of tub 4. By swinging the lever lllback and forth, the shaft 60 is moved in one direction or the other so as to cause one of the cams 64, 66 or 68 to engage and to press on its respective plunger 50. To releasably hold shaft 60 in its various positions of angular adjustment, the followings means is provided.

A bearing 88 which is secured to the tub has a serrated inner face and a member 82 slidable but non-rotatable on the shaft by means of a pin 84 and slot 86 hasa serrated face. The said member 82 is spring pressed towards member by a spring 81 which is disposed between said member 82 and a washer 88 held on the shaft 60 by a pin 90. As the shaft 60 is turned the serrations of members 80 and 82 pass by one another and these hold shaft 60 against accidental turning.

The member 62 may be positioned so that its cams do not engage any one of the plugs 50. In said position the driving members may be reciprocated, without oscillating shaft 68. By swinging the member 62 any one of its cams may engage and press forwardly on its respective plunger so that the driving member forwardly of the plunger is yieldingly engaged with its respective groove. Thus the driving members are selectively engaged with the driven members so as to obto its respective driving member.

tain the desired angle of oscillation of the shaft 6.

The springs 58 provide a yielding pressure so that the driving and driven members are yieldingly and frictionally engaged.

The cam surfaces 64, 66 and 68 which engage the plungers are inclined relative to the vertical face of the cam member 62 so that as a cam surface is moved across its respective plunger, the tension on the spring of the plunger may be gradually increased or the plunger structure functions so as to exert gradually more pressure In this way, each plunger may exert various degrees of pressure to its respective driving member.

Obviously the driving members may be provided with grooves and the driven member may have peripheral portions operating therein.

Manifestly the specific details of construction may be considerably varied from those herein shown and described without involving any departure from the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages inherent therein. While I have described my invention in this specification in great detail and particularly with respect to the present preferred form thereof, it is not desired to be limited thereto since many changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The combination of an oscillatable shaft and a rotatable member with means for oscillating the former by the latter comprising in combination, a plurality of driving members each having one end pivotally connected to the rotatable member whereby said driving members may be reciprocated, a driven member having parts of different diameter with which said driving members are frictionally engageable, and engaging means for selectively and independently engaging said driving members with parts of said driven member whereby said driven member may be oscillated through different angles.

2. The combination of an oscillatable shaft and a rotatable member with means for oscillating the shaft by the rotatable member comprising in combination, driving members each pivotally connected to the rotatable member whereby said driving members may be reciprocated, a driven member with which said driving members are frictionally engageable, and engaging means for independently engaging said driving members with said driven member whereby said driven member may be oscillated.

3. The combination of an oscillatable shaft and a rotatable member with means for oscillating the former by the latter comprising in combination, a plurality of driving members each pivotally connected to the rotatable member whereby said driving members may be reciprocated, a driven member having parts of different diameter with which said driving members are frictionally engageable, and engaging means for selectively engaging said driving members with the parts of said driven member whereby said driven member may be oscillated through different angles and said engaging means including yielding means whereby said driven member and said driving members are yieldingly frictionally engaged.

4. The combination of an oscillatable shaft and I rotatable member With means for oscillating the former by the latter comprising in combination, a plurality of driving members each having one end pivotally connected to the rotatable member whereby said driving members may be recipro cated, a driven member having parts of different diameter with which said driving members are frictionally engageable with the engagement being provided by angularly disposed frictional faces, and engaging means for selectively and independently engaging said driving members with the parts of said driven member whereby said driven member may be oscillated through different angles.

5. The combination of an oscillatable shaft and rotatable member with means for oscillating the former by the latter comprising in combination, a plurality of driving members each having one end pivotally connected to the rotatable member whereby said driving members may be reciprocated, a driven member having parts of different diameter with which said driving members are frictionally engageable with the frictional engagement being provided by angularly disposed frictional faces, engaging means for selectively and independently engaging said driving members with said driven member whereby said driven member may be oscillated through different angles with said engaging means including yielding means whereby said driven member and said driving members are yieldingly frictionally engaged.

6. The combination of an oscillatable shaft and rotatable member with means for oscillating the former by the latter comprising in combination, a plurality of driving members pivoted to the rotatable member having friction faces, a driven member on the shaft having friction faces of different diameters engageable by the friction faces of said driving members, and means to selectively engage said driving members and said driven member whereby said driven member may be oscillated through different angles.

7. The combination of an oscillatable shaft and rotatable member with means for oscillating the shaft by the rotatable member, driving members pivoted to the rotatable member having friction faces, a driven member on the shaft having friction faces engageable by the friction faces of said driving members, and means to selectively engage any one of said driving members and said driven member whereby said driven member may be oscillated through difierent angles.

8. The combination of an oscillatable shaft and rotatable member with means for oscillating the former by the latter comprising, a plurality of driving elements pivoted to the rotatable member having friction faces, a driven member on the shaft having friction faces of different diameters engageable by the friction faces of said driving members, and means to selectively and yieldingly engage said driving members and said driven member whereby said driven member may be oscillated through different angles.

9. Mechanism for oscillating a shaft through angles of different magnitude from a rotatable membier comprising in combination, a driven member for the shaft having peripheral grooves of different diameters, a plurality of driving members for pivotally connecting to the rotatable member having end portions operatively receivable in the grooves, the grooves and said driving members being provided with frictionally engageable faces, and engaging means for selectively engaging said driving means and the grooves whereby said driven member may be oscillated through different angles.

10. Mechanism for oscillating a shaft through angles of different magnitude from a rotatable member comprising in combination, a driven member for the shaft having peripheral grooves of different diameters, driving members for pivotally connecting to the rotatable member having end portions operatively receivable in the grooves, the grooves and said driving members being provided with frictionally engageable faces, and engaging means for selectively engaging said driving members and the grooves including yieldable means whereby said driving members and the grooves are yieldingly engaged whereby said driven member may be oscillated through different angles.

11. Mechanism for oscillating a shaft through angles of different magnitude from a rotatable member comprising in combination, driving and driven members, the former being pivotally connected to said rotatable member and the latter being fixed to said shaft, said members having engageable friction faces arranged when different faces are engaged to bring about oscillation of said shaft of different angles, and selective engaging means for engaging those faces which will produce the desired angle of oscillation of said shaft.

12. The combination of an oscillatable shaft and rotatable member with means for oscillating the former by the latter comprising, driving and driven members pivotally connected to said rotatable member and fixed to said oscillatable member, said members having co-operating frictionally engageable faces arranged whereby the driven members may be oscillated through different angles by engaging different faces, and selective means for engaging certain faces to obtain a certain angle of oscillation.

13. The combination of an oscillatable shaft and rotatable member with means for oscillating the former by the latter comprising, driving and driven members pivotally connected to said rotatable member and fixed to said oscillatable member, said members having co-operating frictionally engageable faces arranged whereby the driven members may be oscillated through different angles by engaging different faces, and selective means for engaging certain faces to obtain a certain angle of oscillation, said selective means including yieldable means whereby said faces are yieldingly engaged.

' JOHN OAKLEY. 

